Tuesday, 21 April 2015

Best parks in London - I 'deer' you to say otherwise!

Those gorgeous Spring days when
the sun finally comes out of hibernation for an entire twelve hour stretch are
always a cause for celebration – an ideal reason to forgo Winter activities
such as binge-watching ‘House of Cards’,
to descend en masse to any available green space to soak up the sun.

Thankfully London is blessed with many, many green spaces to choose from. While each has its charms, for me those in the London Borough of Richmond (Richmond Park & Bushy Park) win hands down because of their wild, untamed beauty and magical feel.

Richmond ParkThe sense of solitude which comes from the fact that some days you are as likely to meet one of the 600+ wild deer which roam freely through the grounds
than another human, makes it almost inconcievable you are just a tube ride away from the City. If Central London can feel like life on overdrive, in Richmond they have definitely found the pause button. Add in family, friends, a picnic and a ridiculously cute and friendly miniature labradoodle called Wilbur and you pretty much have my idea of a perfect weekend afternoon.

I unfortunately got so distracted by this view and by taking pictures of Wilbur (he's just too adorable!) and feeding him the contents of the picnic basket (turns out that dog will literally eat everything),that I completely lost track of time. I therefore had to enlist the help of my fellow picnic-ers as we
made a mad dash around Richmond Park in the car to find and photograph some of its famous inhabitants before closing time.

Just as we were about to give up,
we spotted these the two stags! It was completely spellbinding to watch these graceful creatures. It was only when one of
the stags started advancing ominously towards me that I decided I had
probably overstayed my welcome.On our
drive back we also saw a an entire herd congregating for what I can only assume
is the deer equivalent of a house-party but I had no time to stop and take
photos as we made it back to the main gate just seconds before being locked in
for the night (phew!)

If you are a bit more organised than me, and leave yourself more than half an hour to visit the park, you will find there is plenty to do. Richmond Park is seriously big (three times the size of Central Park in NYC) and during Autumn you can witness the spectacle of the stags battling each other for mating rights. You should also make sure to visit the Isabella Plantation (a woodland garden which is filled with exotic plants) and King Henry’s Mound (where you can get a gorgeous panorama view).

Bushy ParkIf Richmond Park hasn't completely satisfied your deer fix, Bushy Park definitely will. Established as a hunting ground by Henry VIII, just as in Richmond the deer in this park run free. But these deer are far from shy, and as long as you maintain a respectful distance you will be rewarded by some incredible sights which prove the perfect way to recharge your batteries after a manic week in the City.

Beautiful, peaceful and ethereal, both Richmond Park and Bushy Park prove that there really is much more to London than first meets the eye.

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All About the Curl

Betsy is a curly haired creature who can be found wandering around London enjoying its weird and wonderful offerings. Whenever she get the chance she loves to grab her backpack and to explore the great wide world beyond.